At first glance it might even seem strange that we ask this question. The law reduces working hours and establishes the obligatory nature of Sunday and holiday rest—how could this not be an improvement in the position of the workers? But we have already shown in detail above how imprecise and indeterminate the rules of the new law are, how often the law, while introducing a rule that improves the position of the workers, weakens this rule by leaving the arbitrary power of the employer intact or by limiting the number of obligatory holidays to a much smaller number than the number of customary holidays.

Let us attempt to calculate whether working time will be reduced by the introduction of the new law if the number of rest days will be no greater than that established by law—that is, if rest will be given to workers only on the obligatory holidays established by law, while on the remaining customary holidays the manufacturers will manage to compel workers to work. Whether they will succeed or not is, of course, a question. It depends on the resistance of the workers. But that manufacturers will strive to compensate themselves for the reduction in the working day by diminishing holidays is beyond doubt. That the law with all its force helps this noble aspiration of capitalists to oppress workers is also beyond doubt. So let us see what would result in this case. In order to compare working time under the old arrangements and under the new (that is, under the law of June 2, 1897), one must take the number of working hours per year: only with such a calculation can one account for all the holiday days and reductions of work on the eves of holidays. How many working hours per year does a Russian factory worker ordinarily have now, that is, before the introduction of the law of June 2, 1897? It goes without saying that there are no completely accurate data on this, because it is impossible to calculate the number of hours worked by each worker. One must use the data gathered from several factories: it is assumed that on the remaining factories the number of hours is approximately the same as on those investigated. Let us take the data collected for Moscow Province. The number of working days per year was calculated with precision for 45 large factories. It turned out that on all these 45 factories together there were 12,010 working days per year, that is, on average per factory 267 working days per year [172]. The number of working hours per week amounts on average (according to data from several hundred factories) to 74, that is, 12 1/3 hours per day. Per year, then, there were in total 267 × 12 1/3 = 3,293 working hours, or for round numbers 3,300 working hours. For the city of Odessa we calculated the data for 54 large factories about which we have information on both the number of working days per year and the number of hours. It turned out that the average number of working hours per year on all these factories equaled 3,139 hours, that is, considerably less than in Moscow Province. In Odessa the working day is shorter: the most common is 10 1/2 hours, and on average for these 54 factories—10.7 hours. Therefore the number of working hours per year turns out to be less, despite the smaller number of holidays. Let us see how many working hours would result under the new law. First of all let us determine the number of working days per year. For this from 365 one must subtract, first, 66 holidays; second, 1/2 day of Christmas Eve; third, one must subtract the free time that the worker receives from finishing work 1 1/2 hours before the holiday. There will be 60 days before holidays (not 66, because about 6 holiday days are combined with other holiday days). That is, from the reduction in holiday work one will get 60 × 1 1/2 = 90 working hours, or 8 working days. In total one must subtract from 365—74 1/2 holiday days (66 + 1/2 + 8 = 74 1/2). We get 290 1/2 working days, or—290 1/2 × 11 1/2 = 3,340 working hours. It turns out, consequently, that if the number of holidays is reduced to the number of obligatory holidays according to law, then the position of the workers from the introduction of the new law will not only fail to improve, but will rather even worsen: in general and on the whole their working time per year will remain the same or even increase! Of course, this is only an approximate calculation: one cannot calculate this with full precision. But this calculation is based on completely suitable data and shows us clearly what a cunning trick the government has employed to squeeze the workers by reducing the number of obligatory holidays in comparison with the number of customary holidays. This calculation shows clearly that if the workers do not stand firmly together and collectively resist the manufacturers, then their position may worsen from the introduction of the new law! And note moreover that this entire calculation concerns only daytime work, namely regular work. But what of overtime work? As for that, the law has not laid down any restrictions, and it is unknown whether the ministers will introduce any restrictions in those rules which they are "permitted" to issue. This absence of restrictions on overtime work is the main reason that makes one doubt whether the new law will improve the position of the workers? If wages upon the reduction of normal (regular) working hours remain for the majority of Russian workers as shamefully low as they are now, then the worker from necessity will have to agree to overtime work, and his position will not improve. What the worker needs is to work no more than 8 hours a day, having time for rest, for his own development, for enjoying his rights as a human being, as a family man, as a citizen. What the worker needs is to receive not a pauper's wage, but one sufficient to live like a human being, so that the worker himself enjoys those improvements that are introduced into the work, rather than giving all the profit to his exploiters. If he has to work for the same wage as many hours as before, then is it not all the same to the worker what his excessive work will be called, regular or overtime? The law on the reduction of the working day will then remain dead, will prove to be an empty piece of paper. The manufacturers will then not be affected at all by the new law, nothing will force them to make concessions to the working people. And the officials of the Ministry of Finance, currying favor with capitalists, already hint quite plainly at this: in that same article of the "Financial Herald" they say the following in reassuring tones to the manufacturers: "The new law, by limiting the freedom of hiring contracts for ordinary work, does not eliminate the possibility for the manufacturer to conduct work in the establishment at any time of day and night and even in cases of necessity" (yes! yes! our poor, oppressed manufacturers do so often experience a "necessity" for free labor from Russian workers!) "and on holidays, entering into this for special agreements (on overtime work) with the workers."

See how these lackeys of the money bag strain themselves! You shouldn't worry too much, gentlemen manufacturers—you can conduct work at any time of day and night, only then you will have to call the work that was previously considered regular—overtime. Change only the name of the work, and that is all!

What is most astonishing in this statement is the impudence of the officials; they are beforehand convinced that there will be no restriction of overtime work (if overtime work is restricted, then the manufacturer cannot conduct work at any time of day and night!) They are beforehand convinced that the workers will not learn of their cynical and frank advice to manufacturers not to stand on ceremony! In this regard the officials of the Ministry of Finance have certainly distinguished themselves! It will be very instructive for the workers to learn how the officials converse with the manufacturers and what they advise them. Having learned this, the workers will understand that under the cover of the new law the old enemies are attacking them with the former aspirations to enslave the worker on the very "legal grounds."